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Castle Mark gains OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 Special Articles Certification

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Castle Mark gains OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 Special Articles Certification



Castle Mark is a leading office seating, lounge/motion seating, and sofa manufacturer located in Dong Guan, China. Its corporate headquarters are located in TaoYuan, Taiwan. Castle Mark’s recliner with electronic components is the first to become OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certified under the “Special Articles” supplement. Its mission is to build trust through integrity, innovation, and quality, creating sustainable success for its partners, people, and the planet.

Castle Mark has taken a significant step forward in product safety and sustainability by achieving OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certification for its finished products. Although the company had long been using certified PU materials, increasing buyer requests encouraged them to extend certification to their complete product range.

Castle Mark, a Taiwan-headquartered furniture maker with production in Dong Guan, China, has become the first to achieve OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certification under the ‘Special Articles’ supplement for its recliners with electronic components.
Guided by TESTEX, the move boosts brand trust, sustainability credentials, and buyer confidence, positioning it as a pioneer in safe furniture.

Initially, Castle Mark was unsure whether certification would apply to its category, since the products combine textile and non-textile elements. With the guidance of TESTEX, which introduced the Special Articles Supplement and provided training, the process was completed successfully. This supplement clarifies which components must be tested, such as textile parts in contact with skin, and which are excluded, such as frames or mechanical elements.

The certification has already strengthened Castle Mark’s brand image. Buyers have welcomed the move, recognising the company as a pioneer in safe and sustainable furniture. Although certification was only received in August 2025, the company expects a steady rise in sales, supported by TESTEX’s marketing initiatives across social media, PR, and international exhibitions. More importantly, Castle Mark views the certification as a way in which it can contribute to the brand-building of its partners, ensuring shared growth.

While it is too early to track direct sales increases, the company believes the OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 label will boost buyer confidence, create new opportunities, and underpin long-term growth. Compared with other industry certifications, Castle Mark values OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 for its trusted, globally recognised system. The clear testing procedures, alignment with international legal requirements, and consumer recognition provide strong support for positioning Castle Mark as a responsible manufacturer.

Feedback from buyers and retail partners has been overwhelmingly positive, and Castle Mark is determined to communicate the certification widely. Beyond product labelling, the company integrates the achievement into its website, catalogues, brochures, and trade fair presentations. With TESTEX’s support, visibility will continue to grow across social and professional channels.

Castle Mark has also praised the collaboration with TESTEX, noting the organisation’s responsive guidance and hands-on support throughout the process. TESTEX representatives visited the factory twice, introduced the OEKO-TEX product range, and provided quick feedback whenever needed.

TESTEX’s Sales and Marketing Manager summed up the partnership: “We are very pleased to support Castle Mark on their journey towards OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certification. This collaboration demonstrates how the Special Articles Supplement enables even complex finished products, such as furniture, to be certified according to OEKO-TEX criteria. By achieving this certification, Castle Mark not only ensures product safety but also strengthens trust with sustainability-focused buyers and consumers. We look forward to continuing our cooperation and promoting safe and sustainable development in the furniture industry.”

Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)



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Tariffs may raise prices of apparel by 36.2% in US in short run: TBL

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Tariffs may raise prices of apparel by 36.2% in US in short run: TBL



In the baseline scenario where all current US tariffs are maintained in perpetuity, US consumers face an overall average effective tariff rate of 17.4 per cent, the highest since 1935, according to research by The Budget Lab (TBL) at Yale University.

On the other hand, under the invalidation of International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs, consumers face an overall average effective tariff rate of 6.8 per cent, the highest since 1969. After consumption shifts, the average tariff rate will still be 6.8 per cent.

In the baseline scenario, consumers face particularly high increases in leather and clothing in the short-run: prices increase by 37.3 per cent for leather products (shoes and hand bags), 36.2 per cent for apparel and 22 per cent for textiles. After substitution and global supply shifts in the long-run, prices remain 13.2 per cent, 12.8 per cent and 8.2 per cent higher respectively for the three sectors. 

In the baseline scenario where all current US tariffs are maintained in perpetuity, US consumers face an overall average effective tariff rate of 17.4 per cent, the highest since 1935, The Budget Lab at Yale University said.
Under this scenario, prices increase by 37.3 per cent for leather products, 36.2 per cent for apparel and 22 per cent for textiles in the short-run.

In the baseline scenario, all tariffs till now this year are expected to raise $2.4 trillion between 2026 and 2035. Under the invalidation of IEEPA tariffs, $704 billion is raised over the same time horizon.

In the baseline scenario, the price level from all 2025 tariffs rises by 1.7 per cent, equivalent of an average per household income loss of $2,300 in 2025 US dollars. Under the invalidation of IEEPA tariffs, the price level rises by 0.5 per cent, equivalent of an average per household income loss of $700.

In the baseline scenario, US real gross domestic product (GDP) growth over 2025 and 2026 is minus 0.5 percentage point (pp) lower each year from all 2025 tariffs. In the long-run, the US economy is persistently minus 0.4 per cent smaller, the equivalent of $120 billion annually in 2024 dollar.

Under the invalidation of the IEEPA tariffs, US real GDP growth over 2025 and 2026 is minus 0.5 pp lower each year from all 2025 tariffs. In the long-run, the US economy is persistently minus 0.1 per cent smaller, the equivalent of $25 billion annually in 2024 dollar, a TBL release said.

In the baseline scenario, the unemployment rate is projected to rise by 0.28 pp by the end of 2025 and 0.65 pp by the end of 2026. Payroll employment is 480,000 lower by the end of 2025.

Under the invalidation of the IEEPA tariffs, the unemployment rate rises by 0.3 pp by the end of 2025 and 0.5 pp by the end of 2026. Payroll employment is 480,000 lower by the end of 2025.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)



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Mexico cautions Vietnamese textile exporters on info update

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Mexico cautions Vietnamese textile exporters on info update



Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) recently made public a cautionary note from Mexico that the latter may deny preferential tariffs to consignments already issued with a Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) certificate of origin (C/O) if the exporter has not registered or updated required trader information.

The ministry’s export and import department notified C/O-issuing organisations and the Vietnam Textile & Apparel Association (VITAS) of the need for textile and apparel exporters to Mexico under the CPTPP to register and update trader information.

Under the Vietnam-Mexico bilateral Textile and Apparel Monitoring Programme within the CPTPP, exporters must register and update trader information on exports of textiles and apparel to Mexico.

Vietnam recently made public a cautionary note from Mexico that the latter may deny preferential tariffs to consignments already issued with a CPTPP certificate of origin (C/O) if the exporter has not registered or updated required information.
A review showed that many textile-apparel exporters to Mexico have obtained CPTPP C/Os, but have not carried out the registration and updates.

A review showed that many textile and apparel exporters to Mexico have obtained CPTPP C/Os, but have not carried out the required registration and updates, a domestic media outlet reported.

The department also urged VITAS to inform members about the monitoring programme requirements and Mexico’s note.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)



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THG reports weaker numbers in first half but sees Q3 uptick

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THG reports weaker numbers in first half but sees Q3 uptick


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September 11, 2025

THG’s first-half results on Thursday were in line with its guidance as the company returned to revenue growth in Q2 and saw a positive start to the second half. Not that the figures for the first six months of the year looked particularly impressive, but the company seems to be upbeat as business is moving in the right direction.

THG

It said that “trading momentum from Q2 into Q3 continues to build positively, with the strategic model changes implemented across both THG Beauty and THG Nutrition throughout 2024 now bearing results. This momentum underpins confidence in full year and medium-term outlook”.

And it added that the successful THG Ingenuity demerger at the start of H1 alongside the Q3 disposal of Claremont Ingredients for £103 million, puts it on an “accelerated path towards a net cash position, with the H1 2025 refinancing securing long-term committed facilities”.

So let’s look at the H1 numbers and the H2 outlook with a particular focus on its Beauty ops.

THG revenue was £783.4 million, which was down 2.6% on a constant currency basis. The gross margin dipped to 41.1% from 42.6%, reflecting price impacts in its Nutrition business but is expected to return to growth for the second half. 

Adjusted EBITDA fell to £24 million from £37.1 million a year ago in line with the trading update it issued last month. The result was weighted towards Q2 with Q3 expected to be “meaningfully higher”. That comes as the company said it’s seeing its strongest trading performance of the year so far in the third quarter.

Revenue at THG Beauty dropped 5.9% in the first half on a constant currency basis and was down 12.4% on a reported basis at £479.9 million.

THG Beauty’s gross profit fell 14.8% to £190.4 million in the first half and adjusted EBITDA for the division was down 29.4% at £20.2 million, primarily reflecting the revenue and gross profit result. But this was partially offset by distribution cost efficiencies from increased UK participation. Lifecycle investment and B2B order phasing (across own-brands and manufacturing) also contributed to the change.

For H2, THG Beauty is expected to deliver revenue growth of 1%-3%.

Digging into the details of the Beauty performance, THG said that it saw “resilient retail trading with Q2 2025 UK growth at its highest rate since Q1 2024, supporting market share gains”.

The effect of withdrawing from certain sales activity in Europe and Asia, as well as various non-underlying items such as asset disposals including the luxury portfolio, contributed over 900bps of the revenue decline in H1, with these factors mainly annualising in Q3 2025.

But new brand launches drove growth and engagement, with over 70 launched year to date, including Gucci Beauty. Revenue from new brands is expected to be up 50% vs 2024 “with future personalisation developments supporting product discovery including integrating diagnostic technology and tailored product recommendations for specific looks and concerns”.

LookFantastic loyalty members continued to grow in H1, reaching 3.2 million members, “with consumer preference surging by 54% (Q1 to Q2). This reflects the ongoing strategy to develop and deploy learnings from an evolved marketing measurement framework, focused on incremental efforts, demand generation and brand tracking to drive greater brand awareness and a higher quality of recurring customer”.

CEO Matthew Moulding said: “I’m really pleased at how THG has gained momentum throughout the first half and into Q3. A slower start to the year in Beauty, alongside record whey prices in Nutrition, initially held back performance, but we saw clear improvement in Q2, in particular supported by Myprotein offline retail and licensing sales.

“As a business we’ve reaped the benefits of the recent extensive strategic initiatives across the group. Our Beauty business particularly in the UK demonstrated impressive resilience, securing market share gains in Q2, with a growing loyalty base and successful new brand launches supporting a return to revenue growth in Q3.”

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